


Don't Jump

by CalamityJess



Series: Aesha Lavellan [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2015-01-15
Packaged: 2018-03-07 17:46:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3177845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalamityJess/pseuds/CalamityJess





	Don't Jump

"We aren't monsters we can control ourselves" Aeshawyn Lavellan snapped at the commander. She immediately felt slightly guilty for doing so, and was focused on that while the rest of the advisors continued the discussion.

After the meeting she wandered off to Penitent’s Crossing to observe the breach. In its own way it was beautiful to observe. Like an unending ripple on a smooth pond . But a pond wouldn't be nearly as dangerous. Demons everywhere, the veil under tremendous strain, and a camp full of traumatized and scared rebel mages that have never been free. Cullen was right to be worried.

"He-" a voice came from behind her. His voice.

"The rest of that greeting better be ‘hey you’ because I swear to the creators if I hear the title herald one more time I am going to throw myself into that breach and seal it behind me." Aesha said.

She was rewarded by a warm chuckle. That was a good sign, maybe he wasn’t perturbed by her earlier snappish behavior.

"What would you have me call you?" Cullen asked.

"Aeshawyn is my given name, but Aesha is fine. Anything but Herald of Andraste" she answered.

"It is quite the mouth full isn't it?" He smiled

She couldn’t resist smiling back. From the start he had treated her like he had everyone else, with respect and kindness, even while trying to keep a petulant chancellor out of their collective hair, settling fights between what mages and templars were there while trying to shed the title of “Templar” and maintaining the beliefs that made one. At least that’s what she saw, and heard around Haven. Some of the refugees, and soldiers watched her with suspicion, she wasn’t sure if it was her being a mage, or Dalish that caused it. From what Josephine said, probably both. But The Commander never did. Which made her snapping at him that much worse.

“You were right to be concerned, I shouldn’t have barked at you back there. I’m sorry.” Aesha offered quietly.

“No need, you had to make a tough decision under pressure from the _Queen_ of all people. You did the right thing. I should have considered that before putting you on the defensive.” Cullen returned.

  
“It’s just...so much of this is new to me. It never occurred to me that the mages needed oversight, because it wasn’t an issue in the clan. For our people, being born with magic is just...something that happens. As natural as being born with red hair or dimples, oversight isn’t something we worry about, and after seeing things in The Hinterlands” she rushed on, handing a stack of notes to Cullen.

She had found so many of them, frightened mages being burned alive in the cabin they’d hid in, a man ready to kill his mage brother, another saying all mages must die.

“This is disgraceful, and not what the order stands... _stood_ for” Cullen replied.

“I’ll have to take your word for that, I’m afraid all I know of Templars is they hunt mages, and several tried to kill me recently. I still have a headache from that...thing they do to interrupt spells. It felt like it did when I ate my frozen cream too fast” Aesha said.

“Smite, put some honey in a glass of red wine. It should take care of that lingering headache for you.” Cullen offered.

“Thank you, if all the templars were like you maybe the war would end.” She smiled.

“I uh...you’re welcome and uh...thank you.” Cullen replied, a blush appearing on his cheeks.

“I should probably get back before Cassandra really does think I jumped into the breach. Walk with me?” Aesha said.

“I’d like that” Cullen answered, hoping she didn’t notice the sudden unbidden change in his tone.

But the slight blush beneath her freckles said she had.


End file.
